What Do They Mean When They Call Hip Hop “Alternative”?
Watch Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World on PBS: www.pbs.org/show/fight-power-...
Watch Hip Hop & the Metaverse: • Hold Up, How Did Hip-H...
We dive into the world of alternative Hip Hop and explore what it even means for Hip Hop to be called alternative. Our hosts, Arthur and Linda, take a deep dive into the history of the word alternative in music and how it relates to rap and r&b. Covering the journey of artists like The Pharcyde, Odd Future, and Missy Elliott.
To help us understand the concept of alternative Hip Hop, Arthur meets with Robeson "Taj" Frazier, PhD, host of Hip Hop and the Metaverse. Together, they discuss how Hip Hop is plural and how the term alternative has been used in the genre over the years.
In addition, Linda sits down with rising r&b star Jean Deaux to talk about the originality of her music and how she fits into the alternative Hip Hop landscape. Jean Deaux shares her unique perspective on the creative process and how she is carving out her own space in the music world.
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We like music. You like music. Let’s break it down. Sound Field is a PBS Digital Studios web series produced by Twin Cities PBS. #SoundFieldPBS #jeandeaux #alternativehiphop
Пікірлер: 278
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@VINCEAKOKO
Жыл бұрын
noice!
@b-boycastertroy
Жыл бұрын
To gloss over Kool Keith is highly suspect. You guys should be ashamed of yourselves.
For me, alternative means something I probably wouldn't hear on the radio but probably would hear on the radio in a Grand Theft Auto game.
Doom got a mention which is great! Aesop Rock, Mr. Lif, J Live, Aceyalone, Hieroglyphics, The Procussions, J5, Lupe! Def Jux as a label back in the day! Alt isn't always about samples and such, half the time written subjects and conscious awareness does impact alt sound as well. Meaning in both senses.
@2nd3rd1st
Жыл бұрын
J5 4Lyfe!
@maryannappiagyei4277
Жыл бұрын
Atmosphere and MF DOOM homeboy sandman. Eyedea.
@dgayle2348
Жыл бұрын
The early to mid 2000s underground scene was insane and no one seems to remember it happened.
@foopity9160
Жыл бұрын
i wish they mentioned peggy as well
@cpi23
Жыл бұрын
@@maryannappiagyei4277 R.I.P. Eyedea
Hip Hop is going through the same thing that 'punk rock' went through in the late 70s. In '77 you could have walked into CBGB's and heard The Ramones, Blondie, The Talking Heads, The B-52s, Patti Smith, The Police, and so many others, and it was all called punk rock until some guy decided to at least draw one distinction and call some of it new wave. Those six bands belong in at least for different boxes. Hip Hop is just waiting for someone to figure out what to call the sub-genres.
Mysterious Music
@VenusLivesInASociety
Жыл бұрын
😂
@The_SOB_II
Жыл бұрын
Music has Alway bein a mystery to the universes . The meaning of. Why you can make music when the yo u music
@SoundFieldPBS
Жыл бұрын
True
@addictivenews
Жыл бұрын
😂😂😂 ok Dj khaled
@fuziontonygaming
Жыл бұрын
DJ Khaled is fast food Hip-hop both figuratively and literally.
IMO I think it means something that is otherworldly sounding in terms of production & lyricism. Rappers like Danny Brown, JPEGMAFIA, Kanye West, Tyler The Creater, Travis Scott, LIL UZI VERT have shown this through their music either through their sounds or lyrics
@peachtime
Жыл бұрын
I feel like all of these artists aren't alternative anymore, whereas yung lean, bladee, ecco2k, and especially Yabujin are the real modern alternatives
@sasquatch884
Жыл бұрын
@@peachtime Danny and Peggy still are
@SuperSonic-sf5sz
Жыл бұрын
@@peachtime MF Doom, JPEGMAFIA, and Danny Brown are still alternative
@brvnotrash
Жыл бұрын
it's so sad they never mentioned peggy and injury reserve
@thedon0516
Жыл бұрын
I'll also include BROCKHAMPTON, Earl Sweatshirt, Run The Jewels, & XXXTENTACION
I pray I get embraced in this category one day. I think as an artist pushing boundaries is our responsibility. I hope I do too.
This is the sound field i remember!! More like this please, and more often please.
As an "old head" I hate all the labels. It's all just Hip Hop.
@BlackIndigenousPosse
Жыл бұрын
As an "old head" they are useful. It can all be hip-hop along with more specific terms to help people understand what you're talking about. Using more words can convey more information. It's fine.
@slattslattslatt
Жыл бұрын
Cope harder
@verbavolant6895
Жыл бұрын
Thats where hip hop messed up. Should have let subgenres be their own genres
Makes me wanna listen to Supa Dupa Fly again
@SoundFieldPBS
Жыл бұрын
You should, we’ve been listening to it a lot
Azealia Banks should’ve been mentioned w her bringing hip-house to the mainstream. Despite her personal shenanigans, no matter your opinions on her, her musical impact is undeniable!
@olleheyb
Жыл бұрын
She wasn’t the first tho, so if anything they should have mentioned, for ex, Queen Latifah and Jungle Brothers who preceded her.
@peachica
Жыл бұрын
@@olleheyb what are some hip house songs by latifah and jungle brothers?
@olleheyb
Жыл бұрын
@@peachica Jungle Brothers: “I’ll House You”, Queen Latifah: “Come Into My House”
@SoundFieldPBS
Жыл бұрын
Or early Chicago pioneers during the beginnings of house like Fast Eddie!
@THAGAMEKILLA
Жыл бұрын
Impact? Ive never seen a single soul listen to azealia banks
A wonderful episode. I saw someone mention hip house, and it sounds like a great episode idea for the team to explore the parallels between house/vogue/ballroom music and hip hop/rap music since both genres and cultures featured dancers, DJs, and MCs as a central figures in the culture and music.
I love this channel so much! I learn so much about music I already knew and music I didn't know but I'm glad I do now. I also love to see the threads of influence in music that cause major changes in the way things sound. Great work as always!
B.o.B definitely falls into this category... From pop-rap to conscious rap to psychedelic rap to lofi-rap.
@slattslattslatt
Жыл бұрын
This comment is hilarious
@brandonluff7992
Жыл бұрын
Ain’t heard bob in years since he was mainstream from the track magic which banged
@serious_nigga
Жыл бұрын
@@slattslattslatt what's hilarious about it?
@serious_nigga
Жыл бұрын
@@brandonluff7992 been a fan and I followed his career from being mainstream up to date. I remember when he left Atlantic. Fyi, as a non-american who has never been to the states, I get surprised when I hear people from the states not having a clue about him.
@DeathSensei
Жыл бұрын
@@serious_nigga he had like 3 hit songs and then nobody listened to him anymore. Also he’s just ended up becoming another flat earth conspiracy theorist.
Playboi Carti's Whole Lotta Red would've been a perfect example of an album that was considered alternative when It came out but is now the norm. I sometimes question if these mainstream media actually know anything about modern Hip-Hop because Carti has revolutionized Hip-Hop and there's rarly ever any mention of his contributions. Is it because he's controversial?
@SoundFieldPBS
Жыл бұрын
We talk about Carti and are fans of WLR. We just can’t fit everyone into one video.
@peachtime
Жыл бұрын
I'm more surprised yung lean wasnt in the video, without yung lean theres no carti and a lot of others
@theinsidertraderfx_
Жыл бұрын
no becoz he didn't revolutionalize hip hop
@jonnyvaladez8859
Жыл бұрын
Yeah I definitely would’ve mentioned him instead of coy leray for autotune haha
@christinathein951
9 күн бұрын
I think it’s just because Cardi is simply too recent. 4:35 “because genres are always evolving, what is alternative at first, becomes the norm years later” only years later when a style becomes the norm is when it is recognized as having been “revolutionary” or hugely significant within the genre.
This was very cool. I think maybe some more emphasis on De La Soul would have been appropriate though - they made the juxtaposition of what they were doing vs the "mainstream" of hip hop at the time explicit in their Me, Myself & I video.... I think you could reasonably argue that they created the lane for Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde, Digable Planets, KMD, Black Sheep, Souls of Mischief and so on....
@usxnews1834
Жыл бұрын
💪🏽
Nice to see Tierra Whack and Danny Brown get a shout out. Would also include JPEGMafia
I love that you all experimented with creating you alls own song and putting it on SoundCloud!
Loved this one! I had to fight the evil algorithm to get back to it but absolutely worth it! Great return to the original vibe of Sound Field. I was surprised and pleased to realize how many of these groups I recognized and enjoyed back in the day! You guys have so much talent and it shines through in this ep even more than usual!
This is a special channel. Keep up the good work!
Solid episode as usual.
So cool to have jean deaux featured in this video! Glad i got to meet her at a concert
As a HipHop/Sol artist who identifies as alternative… and just as a lover and as a lover of hip-hop and music in general, I love this show! Subscribed 😎. Lol. Thank you! I’m going to play with the track & tag you guys!
Hip Hop on PBS now, we outside
I can unquestionably say that I am alternative hiphop.... I can't wait to do something with the track ya'll made. 🦅
I cane up with "alternative hip hop" to describe my style of music i take part in
Big oversight when you lumped Biggie in the same era as Public Enemy when Ready To Die came out 7 years after Yo! Bum Rush The Show, totally different era! 🤦🏻
I love you guys, you give the coolest vibe and music tastes!
This is lacking research. Kool Keith not mentioned at all is a crime to alternative Rap itself
Dr octagon is the og. EL P and def jux are the goats
Aye, where’s Dilla? 😅
They didn’t mention Kanye’s 808s and heartbreak for the popularization of auto tune…..
@SoundFieldPBS
Жыл бұрын
Lollipop came out first
@verbavolant6895
Жыл бұрын
Kid Cudi inspired Kanye to make that album
Hip means Conscience, Hop means Movement ~ KRS ONE. Hip (mic in one's hand rapping anything) while Hop (moving as in dancing, nod your head etc)...
It was interesting, thanks ❤
Surprised that Kool Keith did not get a shout here!
@Soundfield Yall dropped the ball... SMINO IS ONE OF THE FACES OF ALTERNATIVE OF HIP HOP....EARTHGANG JID...SABA MICK JENKINGS ...RAVYN LENAE .... NONAME....
Flying Lotus You're Dead, Kendrick Lamar's 2016 Grammy performance, Childish Gambino's Awaken My Love Album, Shabazz Palaces Quazarz. Rappers collaborating with Robert Glasper, Badbadnotgood, Thundercat, Anderson Paak... I feel like hip-hop/rap has been on the verge to greatness for so long, but the breakthrough doesn't seem to happen. Rock, Jazz, R&B and Funk have all evolved over time with sub-genres for the better (and some for worse). Think of Bossa Nova, Jazz Fusion, Prog Rock- but new Rap genres for 90% seem stuck in a slightly different simple beat. Record sales or clout seems more important than musicianship. The world needs a new N*E*R*D.
@m-tetsuo
Жыл бұрын
Sampling is WHACK
@OMGxITZxPACMAN
Жыл бұрын
I love N*E*R*D but I'm curious as to what you mean by that last sentence?
@m-tetsuo
Жыл бұрын
@@OMGxITZxPACMAN That the world needs a new NERD or about sampling?
@OMGxITZxPACMAN
Жыл бұрын
@@m-tetsuo That the world needs a new N*E*R*D. It sounds like you're saying that would be the answer to what you described as rap's stunted growth. I'm just wondering how so? What would a new N*E*R*D mean/look like?
@7Bobby7
Жыл бұрын
Hip hop been great, commercialism will warp everything but as a genre its roots remain strong
just finished watching, truely an eye opening video for some pepole aruging about the alternate label all the time.
I love this channel !!!!! ✨✨✨
Jean Deaux!!! Recipe is a favorite of mine
heyy Sound Field! what mic did y'all use n what is that purple thing around the mic? i'm lookin to start recording at home n would appreciate if u could share those products! thx for another great vid!
3:36 Yes! That's what I like to hear!
Im surprised that they didn't mention Del at all, or Kool Keith...
@b-boycastertroy
Жыл бұрын
Digable Planet, Odd Future and MF DOOM all were influenced by Kool Keith. This has been happening to him since the 80s.
When yall interpretation started playing, i thought somebody was playing Earthbound around me for a sec lmao
Man, I feel like MF DOOM is the go to GOAT when it comes the very left field of alternative due to his iconoclast of his mask, but, no mentions of Kool Keith as Dr. Octagon and any of his alt. egos to Deltron 3030 and Handsome Boy Modeling feel a bit missing.
@b-boycastertroy
Жыл бұрын
Kool Keith inspired MF DOOM
It was the golden era , not the golden age of HIPHOP .I grew up in the early 90's an at that time music genres fused alot of styles together and anything that couldn't be put in a box and labeled easily was called alternative, which was actually cool you got a mix of cultures making classic music.alot of rock groups got into HIPHOP and vice versa , not too mention the jazz and funk elements fused into HIPHOP .also the heavy metal and classic rock elements fused into HIPHOP as well . salute 🍻👍🏾👍🏾
Jay Dilla??? Dr.Octogon?? Common??? Madlib???
Alrernative Hip Hop artists have loyal fanbases and longer careers, especially compared to mainstream artists.
@slattslattslatt
Жыл бұрын
"Mainstream" doesn't mean you don't make alt music. Do you mean artists that make mainstream music?
never thought I would see Death Grips on PBS LOL
@margemason
Жыл бұрын
and DOOM and OF and Danny Brown etc etc
As someone born in the 70's, this take reads completely false but the culture is dictated by marketing execs now, so this is where we are.
🔥🔥🔥 Another Banger!!!
Do you have a playlist of all the artist you shared?
@chioma916
Жыл бұрын
commenting 4 a playlist también
XXXTENTACION should’ve been mentioned hes the definition of Alternative from his soundcloud days to blowing up in the mainstream X was so unique n creative
Lol this is a crazy time for Fugees history
What I think this video misses on is that sometimes alternative can be pitted against the main stream. I think there is danger in being assigned that label or embracing it when bands and artist use it to become the enemy of everything that is main stream
i would love an evolution of the jungle and dnb breakcore genre that would be so fab!
@jjjjj2220
Жыл бұрын
But they miss a lot of things out of the history of what they talk about
I wonder why folks forget Lil Wayne's first album was released in 1995...
Man, you can't skip Atmosphere and Rhymesayers Entertainment like that.
Calling Igor and Lil Yachtys new album hip hop is a big stretch, just because an artist mainly makes hip hop doesnt mean that all of their projects have to fall into the genre
@slattslattslatt
Жыл бұрын
Both albums have hints of hip hop in it
Linda is such a natural beauty!
Oh man , this rabbit hole goes deep
goddam well played PBS.
Alternative Hip Hop became a media term to describe artists that refused to sell themselves ad black stereotypes. All the white kids thought snoop dogg was the real hip hop and MTV couldn't ruin it.
Hip hop is a BLESSING
I feel like saying alternative is the way we temporarily lump music with a similar genre until enough people follow that style to establish a name.
I wonder if Wu-Tang is alternative Hip hop
Rappers trying to get the rock image without the sound and it make it look weird
Where is this SoundCloud link? I wanna experience this in its entirety!
@SoundFieldPBS
Жыл бұрын
it's in the pinned comment!
@Trioptic3D
Жыл бұрын
@@SoundFieldPBS thank you
rebellion as well but bot only and probably not mainly, everyone knows that it started from block parties and DJing in parks, so the driving force was the desire to have fun
6:31 Wasn't Flower Boy the big change-over for Tyler?
to me alternative rap is any rap that incorporates other genres more than hip hop itself
I just look at it as a sub genre of hip hop that folks who arent really into traditional hip hop would listen to.
Kool Keith
@b-boycastertroy
Жыл бұрын
G.O.A.T.
Love your high quality and researched Content 💯💯💯 I as a child of the 90's grew up in the boom bap/gangsta rap era. With your Lil wayne - Loly pop example I got the Point it was so fresh new and our Club Anthem. That was my XXL freshman 2016 cypher moment. where I thought WTF are they kiddin me what is this. Today I get it and accept the evolution and all the subgenres and enjoy how HIP HOP is taking over the world 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Maybe I'm just old, but did anybody here even mention Beastie Boys? How about every album past "Paul's Boutique"?
The best form of hip-hop.
I thought J Dilla did the passin' me by joint on the Pharcyde record just want somebody to double check them thats all I'm trying to say
Lol @ hearing lollipop in 1990 😂
Why bring up odd Future if y'all were just gonna skip past it and talk about Igor? Also, Tyler the Creator had sampling like Igor as far back as Cherry bomb
What about yung lean? And Drain gang, cloud rap, HexD and hyperpop influenced hiphop are the real modern "alternative rap"
I did not expect y’all to mention Doomtree next to Missy Elliot and Outkast, but I’m here for it! That being said, I’m also an “alternative “ hip hop artist from Minnesota and just dropped a new album! Check me out!
Igor is not a rap/Hip-Hop album. Tyler has made that clear himself.
@MichaelTurner856
Жыл бұрын
It's hip hop, funk, RNB, and neo soul. I feel like there's enough rap in it to have hip hop in there and it doesn't make it any less of a fantastic peice of art as I'm sure you know so I don't see what the problem is really.
@kaimanthelizardwizard1248
Жыл бұрын
@@MichaelTurner856 Thank you for this comment. It's a great experimental album, but it is still within the hip-hop/rap spectrum. This is what hip-hop needs at this point.
I like pink siifu
Familiar yet brand new that’s how I put it
I don't know if I should give props or feel appalled that Aesop Rock's name wasn't mentioned ONCE in this entire video.
yatchy did switch it up on his sophomore album & hes not a mumble rapper
These are alternative facts.
What genre is The Roots?
@BigLBadman
11 ай бұрын
East Coast Hip-Hop, Conscious Hip-Hop, Jazz Rap. You could probably lump them in an alternative category as well.
does sidhu moose wala with stefflon don or mist or burna boy or tion wayne fall into this alternative rap category?
I ❤ Public Television 📺
Whoever wrote this piece needs to do the education cause, yall got this one wrong, wrong, wrong yo.
@marlonwhitely2935
Жыл бұрын
Educate. Please inform
Where’s doechii 8:35
@SoundFieldPBS
Жыл бұрын
Doechii is the future. We could do a whole video about her
Present Rap or hip hop= Rap + R&B
Missy better be in everyone’s 🐐 conversation
@slattslattslatt
Жыл бұрын
Maybe if she made good music she'd be in there
@marvin469
Жыл бұрын
Her music usually had no subject matter . Timbo made her sound better than she actually did
@slattslattslatt
Жыл бұрын
@@marvin469 timbaland really is goated
Oopoi
Hmmmm
6:44 bruh this song isn't hip hop, the album in general wasn't hip hop and Tyler came to be speak out about that when he won the Grammy bruh.
Earl sweatshirt is the king of alt hip hop
@quashi6
Жыл бұрын
fr bro they should have mentioned him
Billy Woods
Miss little smiz and sa-roc Native Tongues and de la soul. Slum Village